Erasmus Experience in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain by Mikołaj

Why did you choose to go to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain?

I was looking for someplace in Spain and the University of Las Palmas was the only university that has the agreement with my faculty.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The scholarship was about 5 months long and I was getting 240 euro per month plus compensation after comeback (ca. 1000 euro).

What is the student lifestyle like in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

Studying in Las Palmas was pleasant and quite easy. Unfortunately, not a lot of Spanish students wanted to spend time with Erasmus students, but the ones that did were very nice and helpful.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to other students?

The University of Las Palmas is not a very educational place. Lectures weren't of high value, so if you are looking for getting the knowledge I recommend other places. The city is fine, but you can see that it was built quite recently and in a short time, sometimes without thinking. It also can a bit dangerous for foreign students - there were some cases of pocket-picking.

What is the food like?

The food in restaurants is quite expensive. Some traditional cuisine is really simple but good. There were also cheaper places but they cannot be named traditional. The huge advantage is the fruits that are cheap, good and fresh.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

No, I found accommodation via Facebook.

How much does it cost to live in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

In my opinion about 600 euros.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Before I came to Gran Canaria I knew a bit of Spanish and I had not that much problem with communicating. There were some courses and I think they were helpful. Unfortunately, for those without any Spanish is a little bit more difficult, but still, it's not impossible to live.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from your city?

Travel to Las Palmas from my city is quite expensive. There are some air charter flights, but you need to be lucky to get a cheap direct ticket. The other way is to plan your trip via RyanAir with a change in Brussels/Madrid/Barcelona or London.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

There are not many places. There are some Erasmus places in Mesa/Lopez zone, like 3x1, Limbo, Platinium, El Sol and of course Thursdays in Vegueta.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

In Triana street, there is a lot of restaurants, but most of the time I was cooking on my own.

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What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There are a lot of small places to visit. For sure the old part of Las Palmas - Vegueta with some museums. Also in other cities of Gran Canaria, there are some worth-seeing places like Guayadeque, Puerto de Mogan, Agaete.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the future?

Start to surf as soon as you get there - buy a surfboard/longboard or whatever, because it's a great place to do such kind of sports. Also climbing is very popular.

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